For its 23rd edition, corresponding to the 2024–2025 academic year, the Young Reporters for the Environment competition, led by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of National Education Preschool and Sports, successfully mobilized Moroccan youth around the theme:

“Ecosystem Restoration: Commit & Inspire Us through Civic Actions for a Sustainable Future.”

This edition witnessed remarkable participation, with over 1,200 submissions from the twelve Regional Academies of Education and Training across the Kingdom, confirming the growing interest of younger generations in environmental issues. On the ground, students, guided by their teachers, engaged in a rigorous process of investigation and awareness-raising, exploring the threats facing various natural environments, including degraded forests, endangered wetlands, overexploited soils, polluted rivers, and fragile coastlines. They also highlighted local projects aimed at regeneration and conservation.

The national jury, composed of experts and media professionals, convened from April 22 to 25 at the Hassan II International Environmental Training Center, the academic entity of the Foundation, where they unanimously praised the richness of the submissions and the maturity of the perspectives on the chosen theme.

These contributions stood out for their journalistic quality, local relevance, and ability to convey inspiring narratives that offer strong messages and practical solutions. They reflect a collective awareness that ecosystem restoration is no longer a choice, but a necessity one that requires citizen mobilization, solidarity, and long-term commitment.

Among the national winners, several productions were submitted to the international competition organized by the Foundation for Environmental Education under the Young Reporters for the Environment program, thus extending the global reach of Moroccan youth engagement. Two of these productions received international recognition this year, illustrating the excellence and commitment of young Moroccan reporters:

• 1st International Prize in the Written Reportage category for the 15–18 age group, awarded to the Draa-Tafilalet Regional Academy of Education and Training for: “Agdal: Ancestral Wisdom for the Protection of Nature and Water in the Atlas Mountains.”
• 3rd International Prize in the Video category for the 11–14 age group, awarded to the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Regional Academy of Education and Training for: “Forest Cover in the Province of Sidi Slimane: A Natural Wealth Facing Silent Depletion.”
  

These distinctions reflect the growing international reach of the Young Reporters for the Environment program and the ability of its youth to deliver impactful narratives, rooted in local realities and carrying sustainable solutions at a global scale.

As part of the program’s ongoing commitment to its core values and in recognition of the talents of the Young Reporters for the Environment, the Hassan II Garden in Dakhla is currently hosting a new stop of the traveling photo exhibition “A Different Perspective on the Environment”, following a previous presentation in the city of Fez. The exhibition showcases outstanding, award-winning works from various editions of the competition, paying tribute to the students and educators who have contributed over the years to making this program a key driver of environmental awareness and sustainable development. On this occasion, residents and visitors of Dakhla are warmly invited to explore these inspiring youth creations, which reflect the growing commitment of Moroccan youth to environmental issues and a sustainable future.